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AFL backs embattled Lions board

Jim Morton

The AFL has backed the Brisbane Lions board to dig their own way out of the mire after chief executive Malcolm Holmes dramatically fell on his sword.

Holmes resigned suddenly on Thursday and failed to front a media conference at the Gabba where chairman Bob Sharpless denied the CEO jumped before he was pushed.

Under-fire Carlton boss Greg Swann is among the candidates for the role but Sharpless said the new Lions' board would take its time to appoint a replacement.

The third leadership change in nine months - following the sacking of coach Michael Voss and the dumping of previous chairman Angus Johnson - comes as the once-mighty club lurches further into debt.

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Despite posting $12 million in losses since the last profit back in 2007, Sharpless claimed Holmes had done a good job in a three-year "transition" period at Brisbane.

The chairman, who has led the way for a relocation to Springfield, south-west of Brisbane, also rejected speculation his own position was under threat considering the move was endangered by a lack of government funding.

Sharpless has been in recent talks with new AFL chief Gillon McLaughlin but both said the Lions' board controlled the direction of the embattled club, which sits last on the ladder with a 1-6 record.

The AFL is fully supportive of the decision-making of the Brisbane Lions' chairman and board, McLachlan said in an AFL statement.

Lions director and triple-premiership winning coach Leigh Matthews had told News Corp Australia that the governing body was exerting more influence at the struggling club to help rebuild its fortunes on and off the field, and would look to appoint people to the "right positions".

But Sharpless denied the AFL influenced Holmes' decision.

"The board runs the Brisbane Lions Football Club and the board has been in dialogue with Malcolm with this issue," he said.

Sharpless praised Holmes for keeping a strong front-office culture in spite of the club being under-resourced in the battle to attract fans in the highly competitive Queensland sporting market.

The Lions go head to head with NRL club Brisbane and the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby, who both boast average crowds of 30,000-plus, while also doing battle with local AFL rivals Gold Coast.

"The issue for the club is that the business model needs to change," Sharpless said. "That's not about Springfield and it's not about the lease here (at the Gabba).

"The club needs to develop some other revenues which are not dependent on what happens on the football field."

Sharpless, the deputy chairman of the Springfield Land Corporation, maintained it was crucial for the club on and off the field to move its training and administration headquarters to Springfield.

"If we can't go to Springfield, we stay at the Gabba and train at Coorparoo and give our players access to B-grade facilities."

As well as Swann, former St Kilda CEO Michael Nettlefold, and past and present AFLQ bosses Richard Griffiths and Michael Conlan have been listed as potential replacements.